1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device in a shoe for indicating a size of the wearer""s foot relative to the shoe size. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for indicating when a child""s foot has outgrown a shoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shoes are typically designed to fit a specific size foot and may be made of an expansible or stretchable material which snugly, but comfortably holds the wearer""s foot. However, if a wearer, such as a child wearer, has an increasing foot size the shoes are not likely to fit the wearer""s foot comfortably for very long. To prevent this, the shoe can be purchased in a size slightly larger than an optimal size so that the child""s foot grows into the shoe. However, it is sometimes difficult to determine when the child has outgrown the shoe until the child""s foot is too large such that the shoe causes discomfort.
To extend the time period that a shoe may be worn by a child, a shoe may be manufactured with an expandable liner as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,251 (the ""251 reference) or an expandable upper as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,515 (the ""515 reference). According to the teaching of these references, the shoe upper or a liner in the shoe expands so that the shoe fits the wearer""s foot as the wearer""s foot grows through a range of sizes spanning at least one shoe size. As the wearer""s foot grows, it is desirable to know when the upper end of the range is reached. The ""251 reference teaches that a transparent window may be installed in the shoe upper so that the extension of the wearer""s toes into the toe area of the shoe can be viewed. However, the transparent window may interfere with the style of the shoe.
Furthermore, the transparent window taught by the ""271 reference would not provide its intended function in the shoe disclosed in the ""515 reference in which the shoe upper itself expands because the toe is always at the same location relative to the front of the shoe.
A test shoe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,752,254 which includes a shoe upper having a transparent section which allows a wearer""s foot to be viewed while the shoe is being worn and thereby indicate whether the shoe is too large or too small. However, a problem with this test shoe is that the wearer""s foot is only tested when the shoe is initially bought. Since a child""s foot is continuously growing, the actual fit of the shoe will change shortly after the shoe is bought. Accordingly, the test shoe and other devices used to determine an actual fit of a shoe at the point of sale fail to aid in determining when a shoe is outgrown.
Another device which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,571 teaches the use of a marking means which is placed in the shoe either on the sole or on the upper. After the marking means is placed in the shoe, the wearer places his foot in the shoe. A marking medium is applied to the wearer""s foot as the wearer""s foot is slipped into the shoe. The marking medium leaves an indication on the marking means which can be used to assess the size of the wearer""s foot relative to the shoe. However, this device requires a cumbersome measuring process in which a marking means must be inserted in the shoe each time the size of the foot is to be measured.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe having a device for indicating a size of a wearer""s foot to thereby indicate whether the wearer has outgrown or will soon outgrow the shoe.
A shoe according to the present invention includes a shoe upper defining a heel portion and a toe portion for receiving a wearer""s foot within a range of foot sizes including a minimum foot size to a maximum foot size. A growth indicator having an indication is connected to the shoe upper and the state of the indication changes when a size of a wearer""s foot received in the shoe upper is at least as large as the maximum foot size of the allowable range.
The growth indicator includes first and second indicator parts arranged on the shoe upper. The first indicator part is movable relative to the second indicator part in response to a size of a wearer""s foot received in the shoe upper. The first indicator part may include an indicator strip having a first end connected to the shoe upper proximate either the heel portion or the toe portion of said shoe upper. A second end of the indicator strip extends toward the other of the heel portion or the toe portion.
In a shoe having an expandable upper, the upper expands as the wearer""s foot is inserted while the indicator strip stays in one position. In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper is fitted with a window which moves along the length of the indicator strip as the upper expands. The indicator strip includes a marking which is viewable through the window when the upper has expanded to a position corresponding to the maximum foot size, thus indicating that the shoe is outgrown.
In another embodiment, a sensor may be arranged to sense the extent of expansion of the upper. In this embodiment, an indicating device such as a light is connected to the sensor and changes state when the sensor senses that the upper has expanded to a position corresponding to the maximum foot size.
In yet another embodiment, the shoe includes an expandable liner. An indicator strip may be connected to the front of the liner so that is moves with the front of the liner as the liner expands. The indicator strip may be arranged to move along a window in the shoe upper so that a marking on the indicator strip is viewed when the liner expands to a position corresponding to the maximum foot size. Alternatively, a sensor may be connected to sense the expansion of the liner either via the movement of the strip or by detecting the movement of the liner directly.
In yet a further embodiment, a pressure sensor may be arranged proximate the toe portion of the shoe upper for sensing pressure exerted thereon by the wearer""s foot received in the shoe upper. An indicator attached to the pressure sensor is connected for changing its state when the pressure sensor senses a pressure corresponding to that of a maximum foot size.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.